


coffee stained hearts

by eyes_glued_shut



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Crushes, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-04
Updated: 2019-06-04
Packaged: 2020-04-07 20:24:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19092472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eyes_glued_shut/pseuds/eyes_glued_shut
Summary: Gwen works at a coffee shop. David is a teacher.A friendship forms and feelings start to spark between the two.





	coffee stained hearts

AUTUMN

 

Working in a coffee shop was definitely not what Gwen wanted to do with her life. She had hoped that maybe one of her many degrees would land her a well paying job in a city far away from Sleepy Peak, but here she was, thousands of dollars in debt and standing in an empty coffee shop. The hum of the drinks machine from the other side of the room was enough to make someone go insane, but Gwen liked the white noise. It stopped her from overthinking all of her life choices, which she did a lot.

Flicking through the outdated trashy magazine, Gwen wished that someone would come in and order something. She didn't care who, hell, she would enjoy it if the creepy old guy who always seemed to know what perfume she wore came in and ordered a coffee. Sleepy Peak Brew’s coffee was… mediocre. The coffee beans they used weren’t exactly the best, but it was what the owners seemed to buy. Gwen had her theories about the owners, Daniel and Jen, and was certain they were apart of some shady cult and the coffee shop was just a cover up. It would also explain why her pay was higher than an average barista job elsewhere. Hush money, she assumed. “Work for us! We’re in a cult, and we’ll pay you loads of money to keep you quiet! Oh, we’ll also kill you if you try to quit.” That’s what she believed. The two were probably just normal people who seemed to have a shady aura around them. Either way, if the cops suddenly burst in demanding for Daniel and Jen, Gwen wouldn't be surprised.

A strong gust of wind coming from outside blew the flyers and posters pinned to the notice board by the door, and Gwen sighed, knowing she really should close the door, but didn't want to move from where she was sitting. She had pulled a bar stool behind the counter, finding it so much easier to sit down when there was downtime. She watched as a squirrel ran past the door, it’s tail bouncing along behind it. She put down the magazine, and quickly looked at the time on her phone. Three PM. She had four more hours to go. Another gust of wind caused the small bell by the door ring, and for a moment Gwen thought she had company. Her hope quickly faded when she saw no one in the shop.

She would often see students sit in here and study together, or sometimes on the weekends families would come by and take up the bigger booths near the back. But today, on a Tuesday afternoon, no one was around. It wasn’t like the shop was ugly, either. It had a home-y feel to it, plants wherever there was an empty spot, weird art painted by Jen were hung on the walls, and there was an old jukebox by the door that seemed to play records from the 80’s only. There were worse places to work, so she wasn’t complaining. The uniform was pretty relaxed, too. She could wear what she wanted as long as she wore the apron the shop gave her.

She turned back to her magazine, redoing the “what celebrity will you marry” quiz again in order to get the celebrity she did want to marry, and groaned when another gust of wind went by, this time knocking off sheets of paper from the notice board. She looked up over at it with a disappointed look.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” She mumbled to herself, putting down the magazine and walking over to the door, closing it with a glare. She then turned to look at the paper that was on the floor, picking them up with a huff and reading over what they were. Tutoring sessions, babysitter needed, lost dog, the usual. She pinned them back on the board and double checked that the door was closed, before going back behind the counter to steal yet another cup of coffee.

 

Time seemed to drag, and when it turned four, Gwen mentally reassured herself that she can get through another three hours of this. She could do this. There were cakes there she could eat, free coffee and about five outdated magazines she had yet to read. This was going to be easy.

It had barely been five minutes since she made herself another cup of coffee when the bell above the door rang, signalling a customer. She looked up from her magazine and wondered if she should put on a fake smile. Ha. As if.

“Welcome to Sleepy Peak Brew, what can I get you?” She asked when the man got closer, her voice oozing boredom. The guy looked to be the complete opposite of Gwen. He seemed to radiate energy and happiness, and she wondered how someone could have energy this late in the day.

“Uhh…” The man hesitated for a moment, reading through the options on the menu, a few strands of his red hair falling down onto his forehead. Gwen took this time to really look at the guy. A green plaid shirt tucked into a pair of khakis. A lanyard was around his neck, and Gwen recognised it from the school in town. He had a backpack over one shoulder, and she assumed that he was either a teacher or a student. He had what some would say a baby face, but the bags under his eyes and the faint laughter lines suggested that maybe he was a little older than his appearance told people. “I’ll get a pumpkin spiced latte, please.”

Gwen nodded, cursing Jen for adding that to the menu now that it was autumn. She turned around to make it, hearing the guy search around for the exact change for the drink.

“Pretty windy out there, huh? I almost got blown over on my way down here!” The guy said, and Gwen rolled her eyes at the small talk.

“Yeah. That’s the weather here for you,” she replied, hoping the conversation would end there so she could go back to reading. She handed the guy his drink, and he gave her the money for it.

“Today was a bad day to go out and fly kites with my class. Almost lost one of them!” The guy said, watching as Gwen raised an eyebrow. “The kite! Not a child! I haven’t lost a child. They’re all counted for. I think.”

Gwen laughed a little, putting the money into the register. “Wouldn't be the first time a child has gone missing from that school.” She had previously worked there, but got fired after inspectors heard her swear in front of the class. It was an honest mistake, but apparently not one she could come back from.

The guy looked a little concerned when Gwen said that. “Has… a child gone missing before there? I’ve just started and they didn't inform me on anything like that.”

She wondered if he replaced her position there, and almost felt sorry for him if he had. The class she had were brutal, and this guy looked squishy. That class would eat him alive. “Oh, no, it was just a rumour. The kid ran away. It was a whole thing. We had missing posters up in here for a week.”

The guy nodded, and let out a sigh of relief. “That’s reassuring. I was going to have to have words with the principal about it! Glad to know I don’t have to do that, now,” he said with a smile, before sticking his free hand out. “My name is David, by the way! I’ve just recently moved to the area - everyone is so nice and friendly around here!”

Gwen looked at his hand, before shaking it, slightly confused. “Uh, I’m Gwen,” she said, flinching at how strong David’s handshake was. He definitely wanted to make a good first impression.

David then went to sit at the table nearest the window, placing down his coffee and getting out his laptop and sheets of paper. Gwen couldn’t take her eyes off of him, wondering why he even wanted to stay at this place to do work. David noticed Gwen looking at him, and gave her a slight wave, before the bell rang again and two more people walked in. She forced herself to look away from him, and served the new customers.

 

Closing time arrived, and David was still in the shop grading papers, Gwen learned. Part of her felt bad telling David he needed to leave, but she was really tired and wanted to go home. There was leftover Chinese food waiting for her in the fridge and a box set of the Bachelorette she was halfway through. She checked the pastries that were on display, taking them out to see which ones she was going to take home. A lot of the time the food was donated, but a few missing apple pies wouldn't hurt, right? As she started to close down the counter, she then moved to go place all the chairs up on the table, not wanting to disturb David just yet. She noticed he only had a few more papers to grade, and knew how annoying it was when something interrupted the flow of grading. She moved the chairs around him, and David looked up, his eyes widening.

“Oh! Closing time already? I should get out of your hair and head home,” he said, stretching his arms out and yawning.

“You can stay right up until I need to lock up. I don’t mind,” Gwen said, picking up an empty coffee cup she found on the floor.

“No, no, it’s fine. I didn't realise how fast the time went by. I’m sorry,” David said, standing up to pack away his belongings. Gwen watched him, before realising that it was weird to watch people like that.

“We stay open later on Fridays and Saturdays if that’s any use to you. I, uh, don’t know how long you’ve been in the area for,” Gwen told him, placing the coffee cup into the trash. “Also if you want any free pastries there’s some on the counter. Take some if you want.”

David raised an eyebrow. “Is that a thing you’re allowed to do?”

Gwen shrugged. “I haven’t been fired yet! The bear claws are the best here. I usually take any leftovers home, but I’ll be nice today and let you try one.”

He gave her a smile, glancing over to the counter and seeing a small Tupperware box crammed with different kinds of pastries, the word “GWEN’S” written on the side with black sharpie. Next to that, were a few trays of leftover food, croissants, cakes, slices of pie.

Gwen went into the back to grab the cleaning supplies, and when she came back she noticed a few croissants were gone, and David was wrapping them up in napkins to put in his bag. He looked like he had been caught doing something wrong when Gwen returned, and she just gave him a smile before going to clean up the floors.

“Have a good night, Gwen!” David called out to her, before leaving the shop. Gwen gave him a slight wave through the window, and sighed when she was finally alone. There were some odd people in this town.

 

David came back to the shop the next morning, just as Gwen finished opening up. After falling asleep on the couch and woken up at dawn by her cat demanding for food, Gwen was not in the best of moods. David, on the other hand, seemed to be as chipper and happy as he did yesterday afternoon.

“Good morning, Gwen!” David said through a warm smile, gently drumming his fingers against the counter as he looked to see what to order today. “Did you sleep well last night?”

Now, if it were anyone else asking her that, Gwen would’ve told them to fuck off and hurry up and order. But there seemed to be something about David that made her not say that, but instead shrug.

“I fell asleep with cold noodles on my lap, and woke up to my cat eating them. That’s about as good as my life gets,” she told him, before adding a quick “What can I get for you today?”

“A black coffee, please,” David said, rummaging through his bag to find something. He pulled out a reusable travel mug, and placed it on the counter. “Are you able to put it in this?”

Gwen nodded, taking the travel mug that was decorated with a pattern of tiny, green pine trees and smiled at it when her back was turned. It wasn’t everyday someone came in with a reusable cup.

She pressed the buttons to start pouring the coffee, and turned back around to look at David, who was placing his money down on the countertop. “So you have a cat?”

“Yeah. She’s a rescue,” Gwen told him, glancing at the clock. Daniel would be arriving soon to tell her about his dramatic plan of the day. She hoped David wouldn't be here to hear it.

“That’s sweet. I have a rescue dog named Violet. She’s an Australian shepherd and I love her very much,” he said, scrolling through his phone before showing Gwen a picture of a happy looking dog, surrounded by flowers and tall grass.

“She’s adorable.” The coffee finished pouring, and Gwen handed back the mug to David.

He handed her the money and smiled at her. “She is. Anyway! I can’t hang around for long, I have to get to school to set up. I hope you have a great day today!”

Gwen smiled back at David, and watched as he walked out of the shop. She sighed when he left, and wondered why she liked talking to David. Maybe it was because they were in the same age range and it didn't feel weird? Maybe David just had one of those personalities that makes everyone like him? She didn't know.

 

 

As September passed by, and the cooler weather of October rolled in, the shop became a little busier. People would come in during the morning to order coffee before work, and then again after work or school to give them one little boost at the end of the day. David visited almost everyday, sitting in his usual spot to grade papers or plan out lessons. Sometimes, Gwen would come over and talk to him, but mostly she would watch him from afar. One good thing that had been added to the shop was a sound system that played the local radio. Daniel had decided to add it, saying how it would draw in more customers. He was also ordering a lot of odd things that Gwen needed to sign for when the deliveries were made, and this only added to her theories that Daniel and Jen are in a cult.

Today was a rather slow Friday night, David sitting in his usual place and Jen and her book club taking up the other end of the shop. Gwen was cleaning down a table, occasionally glancing from David to Jen, just to make sure everything was okay. Jen’s book club creeped her out a little, as they always found obscure German literature to read and talk about. She was invited to join, but happily declined. No one can take her slash fiction from her.

When she had finished cleaning the table, she looked over at David, who had quickly averted his eyes, and Gwen swore she saw his cheeks turn pink. Deciding not to question it, she checked the time and told herself it was definitely time for her break. No one seemed to be wanting to come in, and Jen’s book club was full of coffee and snacks. She took off her apron and yawned, regretting not getting enough sleep last night, before making her way over to the entrance, needed some air.

The cool October breeze blew past her, and the sun was now beginning to set, orange and yellow hues were filtering in through the pine trees surrounding the small town. She sat down on the curb, watching a few birds fly by, ready to rest for the night. Her mind was left to wander, thinking about everything and anything. One topic that kept coming back up was “why was she still here?” She remembered having that exact conversation with her parents a few weeks after she got fired from the teaching job. They told her to come back home, to the city, and that she could find a nice office job there. Sure, an office job would pay well, but did she really want to spend the rest of her life slaving away to some corporate company who likely didn't give a shit about her? Not really. She held her head in her hands, letting out a sigh. Maybe her parents were right. Maybe she should’ve gone back home and got a shitty office job and talk about shitty things and drink shitty coffee and-

“Hey, you alright?” A voice asked, and Gwen looked up to see David standing beside her.

“Oh, yeah, totally. I’m great,” she replied, convincing herself that this impending breakdown was probably best for another time, when she was at home and could cry into ice cream. She hadn’t expected David to sit down by her, and was going to protest it, not really wanting someone with as much positivity as David around her right now, but his demeanour seemed to be different. His usual upbeat self had seemed to calm down a little.

“The sunsets here are really pretty. That’s one thing I love about this town,” David told her, looking up into the sky to see the warm colours slowly fade up into a dark blue. “Not that I know much about the town anyway. But the sunsets? They’re great.”

Gwen nodded, looking at David with a hint of confusion in her eyes. She had no idea why he kept talking to her. Normally people in this town kept to themselves, but whenever David seem to talk to her, she enjoyed talking back.

“This looks like a Rob Boss painting,” David said softly, his hands on his lap.

“You watch Rob Boss?” Gwen asked, for some reason not expecting to hear that. David nodded, and Gwen smiled a little, before wondering what else they had in common. From all the small talk David had made to her over the past few weeks, she was certain that she would have nothing in common with him, but now she was rethinking everything.

“Sometimes when my day was stressful, I make myself some soup and put on reruns of Rob Boss, and then everything is okay,” he told her, giving her a warm smile. She smiled back, and nodded in agreement.

 

As the sun dipped down over the horizon, and the stars soon appeared in the sky. The two had been talking about anything and everything that crossed their minds. From Rob Boss to their favourite coffee to their music tastes. Closing up the shop completely slipped from Gwen’s mind, and she only remembered when she felt a tap on her shoulder and saw Jen behind her.

“Hey, shop is still open. You gotta close it,” she said, pointing back at the shop.

“Oh, shit, yeah, I’ll do that. Sorry, I got distracted,” Gwen said quickly, standing up and dusting off any dirt that was on her. “I’ll close up. See you tomorrow, Jen.”

Jen smiled, and walked off to the back alley, where there were steps that lead up to the apartment above the shop.

David stood up, laughing softly. “Time sure does fly by when you’re having fun,” he said, back to his usual cheerful self. 

“Yeah, I suppose so,” Gwen said with a smile, watching as David walked back in the shop, holding the door open for Gwen.

She went to go find her her things, noticing that Jen had cleaned and put the chairs up. David’s things were still out, and he started to pack his things away, having not really achieved as much as he wanted to. Gwen walked out with her things along with David, and locked up the shop. She was kind of glad that she didn't have to clean the shop, but felt a little bad Jen had to do it. She wasn’t sure which direction David would be walking, and didn't want to say goodbye yet in case they walked the same way.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Gwen said, assuming David would be at the shop in the morning.

“Yes! This place is part of my daily routine now,” he said, smiling widely at her. “It’s nice to grab some coffee and talk with a friend before going to work.”

“Oh? Who’s the friend?” Gwen asked, watching David’s face drop a little. He looked away and she wondered if she had said something wrong.

“You. You’re the friend,” he said quietly.

“Oh. Fuck, I… hadn’t realised…” she started to say, but realised that she had no idea what to say. “Not many people want to be friends with me, so, it’s weird to hear that.”

David looked at Gwen, before smiling widely and patting her on the back. “Well! You’re my friend now, Gwen, and I am excited to see where our friendship goes! I’ll see you tomorrow, friend!” With that, David walked away, waving at Gwen. She stood there for a few moments, the thought of having someone call her a friend replaying in her mind. She soon started to walk home, feeling an odd sensation in her chest. A friend, huh?

 

As she unlocked the door to her shitty apartment, she was immediately greeted by her cat, Biscuit. She was a fluffy, white cat who loved cat treats very much and was extremely vocal, too. Pets weren't allowed in the apartment complex she lived in, but fuck her landlord. If she wanted a cat, she could get a cat. Biscuit meowed loudly, rubbing her head against Gwen's legs as she closed the door, kicking off her boots. Her mind was still replaying the conversation she had with David, and then him calling her his friend.

 

 

October days became shorter, night time approached sooner and sooner, which meant that most of the time Gwen had to walk home in the dark. She didn't mind it - Sleepy Peak was a safe town, and she knew basic self defence to protect her in case some asshole decided to follow her home. As she closed up one night, David waiting outside the door for her, she had expected for him to say his goodbyes, and leave. Placing the keys to the shop in her pocket, she turned to David with a smile.

"See you tomorrow?" She said, glancing at a street lamp which had started to flicker on and off, making the street flick between darkness and light.

"Actually, I wanted to walk you home. It's pretty dark now at night, and I want to make sure you're safe," David suggested, quickly adding "it's cool if you don't want me to! I'm just… looking out for a friend!" He emphasised the friend with a swing of his arm, in a classic David style.

Gwen thought about it for a moment. It would be nice to have someone to walk with. "Don't you live on the other side of town, though?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That's irrelevant, Gwen! Can I walk you home?" He said, holding his arm out with a grin. She thought for a moment, before rolling her eyes playfully and taking David's arm, playing along as the two started walking to Gwen's apartment building.

"Are you sure you're able to handle yourself on your way home?" Gwen looked David up and down and smiled. "You look like a stick, David. Someone could snap you in half."

"I'm plenty manly! I know karate moves, and, not to brag, but I signed up for the local gym the other day," he replied, a smug but harmless smile on his face.

"Ah. But have you actually stepped foot in the gym since then?"

"No, but that's besides the point. I've signed up, and that's all that matters!"

Gwen laughed, shaking her head. "You're a fucking idiot. You're paying for a membership but you haven't used it?"

"I signed up for a free trial. There's a difference," he corrected, which caused Gwen to slap her face in disbelief.

"I can't believe you," she said softly, giving him a smile nevertheless. She saw her apartment building in the distance, as she didn't live too far from the coffee shop. When she stopped outside the building, David seemed to look disappointed.

"I didn't know you lived close by," he said, looking up at the building.

"Yeah. It made things easier for me. Didn't have to buy a car or anything," she told him, letting go of his arm. They stood there for a moment in silence, the streetlight above them illuminating them, the stars blinking in the sky. It was quiet. It was nice.

"Give me your phone," Gwen said after a little while, her hand outstretched. David hesitated for a moment, before giving her his phone. She typed in her number into his contacts, handing it back with a smile. "Now we're officially friends. Goodnight, David."

Before David could react to what the fuck just happened, Gwen walked through the door, heading towards the elevator.

 

She hadn't really expected any messages from David that night, but was mildly surprised when she received a photo message from an unknown number she assumed was David. Expecting the worse and ready to block the number, she opened the message and saw a photo of a dog, laying on the couch on her back. Followed by it was another message.

_Unknown Number [22:19]: This is Violet! She always lays on the couch and I love her._

As she read the message, another one popped up.

_Unknown Number [22:20]: It's David by the way :^)_

She smiled, before calling for Biscuit, who came walking in from the kitchen. The cat jumped up onto the couch and settled herself down on Gwen's lap, falling asleep. Gwen took a photo of her cat, sending it over to David.

_Gwen [22:22]: here is biscuit. she's a fat piece of shit but i love her._

_David [22:23]: :O She’s the cutest!!!_

 

 

Walking home with David soon became a regular thing. He knew Gwen could handle herself, but he enjoyed the short walks they had together. She liked having someone to talk to, and almost missed David when she left to go to her apartment. They would message each other a lot, too, mostly exchanging photos of their pets or showing each other what episode of The Joys of Painting they were on. It was sweet, and Gwen really did consider David a friend of sorts. It was odd to have someone constantly upbeat and happy around her, and she never felt like she made the mood worse with her cynical outlook on life. The saying "opposites attract" popped into her head whenever they were around each other. She didn't know how to feel about that.

 

Halloween was soon approaching, and Sleepy Peak Brew was decorated to the nines. Daniel had invested a lot in decorations, even going so far as to have a bowl of candy out on the counter for people to take. The worst part about working nearer Halloween was that Daniel wanted them all to dress up in costumes during the week before it. Jen suggested that they all have matching outfits, and Gwen quickly declined, deciding that if she was going to dress up, then she wanted to be in control of her outfit.

Day one, she came as a cat: cat ears she had since forever, and some whiskers drawn on with eyeliner. It was probably the best costume she had ever made. She got some odd looks from the customers she served that day, but when she told them the owners really liked Halloween, they seemed to understand. After her break, however, she scrubbed off the cat whiskers and took off the ears, complaining of a headache. She was not looking forward to dressing up for the rest of the week.

Four PM rolled by and David walked in, waving at Gwen before putting his things down on the table he sat at. Gwen noticed he seemed to stay there for a few moments longer, and it looked to her like he was hyping himself up to do something. Every possibility ran through her mind, and she was ready to let David down gently.

He walked over to her, holding his money in one hand and his phone in the other. Gwen gave him a smile, acting as if she wasn't stressed out over what David was going to say.

"Hey, David," she said, quickly hiding the book she had been reading under the counter. "What can I get you today?"

David ordered his coffee, placing the money down on the counter, and watched as Gwen started to make it. He wanted to say something else, but his words seemed to have failed him and he wasn't too sure how to ask her. As she turned around to hand him the cup of coffee, she raised an eyebrow at him.

"You okay?" She asked, counting the money and putting it in the register, before handing David his change.

"Oh, yes, I'm good. I… uh… Can I ask you a favour?" He said quickly, shocked that he even said it.

"Shoot."

David glanced away for a moment, before taking a deep breath and looked back at Gwen. "So, the school is holding a Halloween party, and the caterer they normally use has pulled out at the last minute," he started to say. "It's a lot to ask, but would the cafe be able to cater for the event?"

Gwen hadn't expected that, and she was relieved that it was something school related. "Uh, yeah, I'd have to talk to the owners of this place, but I'm sure something can be arranged."

"Thanks, Gwen. You're a lifesaver! The principal gave me his credit card details, so I can pay now if you want?"

She wondered if David knew about half of the shady things the principal got up to, but he seemed to like the guy, and didn't want to crush his dreams. “Let me go ask the owners if they’re okay with it first,” she said, smiling at him before heading towards the back room.

The room in the back as a place that creeped Gwen out. It was always dark and had an odd smell to it, but Jen and Daniel seemed to be happy to spend their days in there. She knocked on the door, and Daniel opened it up, smiling widely at Gwen.

“Uh, how are we for big orders of pastries?” Gwen asked, looking past Daniel to see Jen, putting up a large poster of… something.

“Hm? How much are we talking?” Daniel raised an eyebrow, his head tilting to the side in an eerie way.

Gwen shrugged. “Enough to feed a school of kids?”

“Oh. That’s a lot.” Daniel watched Gwen frown, and added, “I’m sure we can do it, though! Jen and I have our own preparations for Halloween, but it will be a good thing to help out the community! Give the kids a taste of our food!”

She nodded, giving Daniel an odd look, before walking away, going back to David. “Yeah, we’re good to help you out,” she told David. His face lit up brightly, and seeing David so happy made Gwen’s heart flutter. Odd. She didn't like that.

 

 

On the day of Halloween, Gwen was expected to deliver the baked goods to the school. Daniel and Jen closed the shop down for the day, saying something about how "the time was right and the moon is in a good position for tonight's ceremony", which made Gwen wonder if they were just religious, and not in a cult. She walked down the street, pulling the cart of baked goods behind her as she made her way down to the school. As she got nearer, she noticed three kids standing outside, looking over something.

"I think it's dead. We should pick it up and take it to David!"

"Nikki, the whole point of skipping school is to _not_ go back there."

"But look at his face!! David would love this gift!"

The closer Gwen got, the more she heard the kids speak, and dread set in her stomach. She recognised them as kids from her class. The only girl in the group turned around, her teal hair in two pigtails and her hands covered in… blood? Dirt? Gwen didn't know.

"Hey, is that Miss Gwen?" She asked, causing the two boys to turn around as well.

"Holy shit!" The smaller one of the boys exclaimed, before laughing. "What the fuck is she doing here?"

Gwen sighed, stopping next to the trio. “Why the fuck aren’t you three in school?”

“We’re skipping school!” The girl, Nikki, exclaimed, before rushing over to look at the boxes in the cart. “What’s in these? Can I look?? Too late! I’m looking!”

“No- Nikki, don’t touch anything,” Gwen said quickly, slapping her hand away from the boxes. Nikki pouted, but walked back over to her friends, getting distracted by the dead bird they were huddled over. “Max, Neil, go to school. You guys aren’t achieving much standing out here.”

Max scoffed, his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. “We’re achieving so much, Gwen. Like seeing you here, stuck delivering whatever’s in those boxes,” he said, trying to peer around her to see them. “Have you resorted to selling drugs after you got fired?”

Gwen rolled her eyes, and started to walk again. She was cut off by Max standing in front of her, looking up with a grin. “Get out of the way before I drop kick your ass,” she said, pushing past the boy and carrying on walking. She was almost at the school. She could do this.

 

Ignoring the calls from the kids, Gwen walked into the gates of Campbell’s School, a mixed school that was relatively small. There were a few classes, most of them having children of all ages in there. Campbell’s School was the place you sent your kid when you had no other choice. There were two other schools in the Lake Lilac district, Gwen remembered. An all girls school that was literal hell, and a military style all boys school that probably wasn’t legal in the way they recruit new students. Out of the three schools, this one was definitely the better one. She walked into the school, the familiar feeling of stress hitting her again. There was no one at the front desk, which was great. She wasn’t going to leave the cart here, and she also didn't want to walk all the way back to the shop and try again later. With a sigh, she took out her phone and sent a message to David, hoping he wasn’t busy and would see it.

_Gwen [12:39]: hey, im at the school with the stuff, no one is at the desk. should i just leave it here??_

She waited for a while, scrolling through her social media pages until she heard someone walk into the room.

“Hey!” David said, his usual smile on his face. “Thanks again for this, I owe you!”

Gwen shrugged, putting her phone away and gesturing to the cart. “There’s a little bit of everything here. Jen wouldn't shut up about how much stuff she was baking.”

David walked over to one of the boxes, and opened it up to see what was in it. “These all look great! I’m sure they’ll go down well with the kids.”

She nodded, shoving her hands in the pockets of her jacket. She wondered if she should tell David about what Max, Nikki and Neil were up to, but thought against it. They deserve to get in trouble by themselves.

“Anyway, I should get going,” Gwen said, and watched as David’s face fell for a moment, the smile returning moments later.

“Yes, okay, I’ll keep you up to date on how the party goes tonight!” He said. He opened his mouth to say something else, but pulled a face and decided against it. He smiled and waved as Gwen walked out, putting her headphones on and left the building.

 

 

The night was pretty quiet. Gwen left a bowl of candy out at the front of the apartment complex, and decided to spend the evening watching old Halloween movies. Biscuit was curled up beside her, purring softly. It was a nice night. Her phone buzzed softly at around 9pm, and she glanced at it to see David had messaged her.

_David [21:03]: The snacks went down a treat!! Thank you so much for your help!_

She smiled at the message, unsure of how to reply to it. She put her phone back down to continue watching the movie. A few moments later, her phone buzzed again, and again.

_David [21:04]: Are you watching the horror movie marathon??_

_David [21:04]: I forgot how much I hate horror movies_

Gwen looked from her phone to the TV, and realised she wasn’t paying that much attention to the movie. She had no idea who half the characters were, or what was going on.

_Gwen [21:05]: i dont rly know whats going on in this movie. you watching the one with the green goblin guy?_

_David [21:05]: Yeah! I’ve seen it before, it’s not the best._

She smiled softly, pulling the blanket she had draped over her couch over her, hearing the beginnings of rainfall outside. The streetlight flickered, flashing light in through her window. Her mind wandered to David, and she wondered why she allowed him to have a place in her life. Her phone buzzed again and there was another message from David.

_David [21:09]: I’m heading off to sleep now. Have fun watching the movie! See you tomorrow :)_

Gwen typed out a quick “good night” back to him, and sighed softly. Why did she consider David a friend? Maybe he was the kind of guy to call everyone his friend, and Gwen was just overthinking everything. It had only been around a month since their friendship started. She felt odd thinking about David. Her chest felt tight and it reminded her of how she felt before she had a panic attack.

She was definitely overthinking this. They were friends. This is how someone feels with friends. Everything is fine.

 

 

The first day of November greeted Gwen with cold, open arms. It walked into her life and destroyed her central heating, causing her to wake up to a freezing cold apartment. She curled into a ball, burying herself in the blankets to try and warm herself up. She had two hours before she needed to go to work, and didn't want to get out of bed and face the coldness of her apartment. She checked her phone, scrolling through unread notifications from apps, and sent a message to her landlord, telling him her heating had fucked up again and wanted it fixed. It took her a few minutes after that to will herself to get up and shower to be ready for the day. She ate breakfast, fed Biscuits and looked outside to see it raining heavily. That dampened her mood, and she was considering calling in sick today. She started to type out a message to Jen, when she got a message from David.

_David [6:32]: Good morning Gwen!! Remember, when you can’t see the sunshine, be the sunshine!!”_

_Gwen read the message, and laughed softly. David did seem like the kind of guy to send positive quotes to everyone he knew._

_Gwen [6:32]: that’s the lamest thing ever, wow. thanks, though. guess i’ll be the sun on this fucking awful day_

_David [6:33]: That’s the spirit!!! Enjoy your morning!! <3_

 

The heart was unexpected. Gwen had to read the message a few times, and even rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn’t imagining it. It probably didn't mean much, and David probably added the heart in a friendly way. But the heart was making Gwen feel things she only felt when her favourite characters got together in her slash fiction. Her chest felt tight again and her cheeks were warm, and it felt as if there were thousands of butterflies in her stomach - all over a heart.

“Shit.”


End file.
